Wowing the millennials: creating brand equity in the wine industry

Purpose - The purpose of the study is to examine the attitudes of millennial wine consumers and determine if positive affect in tasting room situations leads to higher levels of brand equity for the winery. Design/methodology/approach - A survey was developed to evaluate winery tasting room experiences based on standardized brand measurement scales. In total 80 millennials visited tasting rooms and then completed the survey to evaluate their experience. Findings - The results of this research empirically support the anecdotal evidence that, through positive emotions associated with the tasting room experiences, wineries can cultivate relationships with millennial customers that may lead to long-term, profitable relationships through continued patronage and brand loyalty. Originality/value - Practical application of this study suggests that carefully orchestrating a tasting room experience to create a positive experience for the millennial customer appears to be a critical component of post-purchase attitudes and building brand equity. In addition, customer commitment, product quality, service quality, and fair pricing are also significant predictors of brand equity.